Pre-conference tournaments are all the rage in college basketball these days. In recent campaigns, Northwestern has generally been involved in one at some point before the calendar flips to the new year.
Next season, the ‘Cats will head to White Sulphur Springs, W. Va. for the 2025 Greenbrier Tip-Off, according to CBS reporter Jon Rothstein. He reported the news on X earlier today.
NEWS: Virginia, Northwestern, Butler, and South Carolina will headline the 2025 Greenbrier Tip-Off, according to multiple sources.
This event will also feature a mid-major field that is currently TBD. https://t.co/oNDE07kfEk
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) April 28, 2025
A lot is still up in the air about the event including exactly when it will be held. Last season’s Greenbrier Tip-Off was the weekend before Thanksgiving, but it’s yet to be scheduled in 2025. Additionally, there will be a mid-major bracket at the event, but the teams are not yet determined.
What we do know is that Virginia, Butler and South Carolina will join the Wildcats in the power-conference field.
This marks the second straight season that Northwestern will enter a tournament with Butler, which bested the ‘Cats 71-69 at last year’s Arizona Tip-Off. Brooks Barnhizer’s final shot at the buzzer rolled around the rim but didn’t drop in that game. It was the first of many heart-breakers for Wildcat fans last season.
Virginia is coming off a tumultuous season, one of its worst in recent memory. Former head coach Tony Bennett, a legend at the school, retired right before the season began. Understandably, the team struggled and failed to make the NCAA Tournament.
South Carolina was dreadful in 2024-25, finishing dead last in the SEC and only winning two games in conference play.
It’s hard to predict what teams will look like year to year in today’s landscape, but this is likely a winnable tournament for Northwestern if everything goes well.
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